Avoid Mould While Curing Your Weed

Your dank, resinous buds serve as a prime breeding ground for mould and mildew directly after harvest. It is of high importance to insure the integrity of your weed is maintained by drying and curing probably to enable safe and effective storage.

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30 Jan 2017

Whether growing your cannabis indoors or outdoors, the arrival of harvest time is extremely rewarding and celebratory. You have overcome all of the challenges facing you. You battled back the pests, maintained decent humidity, pruned your marijuana plants to perfection and gave them all of the light, nutrients and water they needed to survive. However, the final stages are not yet complete.

You must now successfully dry out your cannabis and cure it correctly in order to store it safely. This part of the process must not be underestimated or rushed due to the excitement of harvest time. Doing it right will stop any nasty mould or mildew from forming on your valuable buds and potentially ruining your stash.

One of the key factors, that mould requires to form and proliferate, is the presence of moisture. To remove moisture from your plants and avoid mould growth you will firstly need to dry your cannabis.

DRYING

Drying is an essential step to remove the moisture from your buds. One key way to dry your newly harvested weed is simply by hanging it. This will give it ample time to dry, without doing it too fast using artificial techniques, that might damage the valuable cannabinoids and active constituents within the end product of your crop. The way you hang your weed to dry will entirely depend on the resources and space that you have access to.

The two main factors, that you will want to consider are humidity and light. Your space will need to have low humidity to eradicate the chance of mould forming. It will also need to be in darkness to stop the breakdown and degradation of the quality of your weed. If you have a spare room, garage or closet, this is great. If not, a large cardboard box will suffice.

Now, create some sort of washing line for your buds to hang from using what materials you have at hand. This could be any kind of wire, rope or string that is sturdy and reliable. Next it would be wise to block excess light entering the space or room without it looking too suspicious if possible. Once achieved, place a fan into the space in order to create adequate air circulation, that will help to prevent mould growth.

Ideal conditions are around 20 degree celsius and a humidity of approximately 50%. This temperature should be easy to achieve. Humidity can be measured using a hygrometer and manipulated using equipment such as humidifiers and dehumidifiers, depending on the default readings in your environment. The drying process should take a of total of 9 days. Be sure to regularly check your buds for any sign of mildew or mold.

CURING

Curing cannabis is essential to be sure, that all excess moisture is removed. This can be done very simply by placing your plant material inside a brown paper bag. Be sure that it is a paper bag you are using and not a plastic one, as this can hold moisture and promote the growth of mould and mildew. Put your product into the bag, but do not overcrowd it. Come along a few times a day and check individual buds. Remove anything that looks suspect.

Another method, known as sweating, takes a little more effort. You will need to put your harvested material inside airtight containers; glass jars work great for this. Once again, be sure not to overcrowd the containers. You should seal the lid for about 3 hours and then open it for a time to allow moisture to leave the container. Continue this process for a week and then allow up to 12 hours before you open a jar.

If you are willing to make an investment, that will protect your buds from mould and increase their THC content during the flowering phase of the grow cycle, then you may wish to obtain a UV light. When using UV lights, you need to exercise caution not to allow it to shine upon your skin. However, this potential danger is a reason it is effective in protecting your crop from a mould invasion. UV light harms the DNA of mould spores and can destroy them. Be careful not to directly shine the light onto your plants as it may damage some of the terpene content.